12 Rounds With… Gary Regan

Gary Regan is a man who wears many hats – bartender, author, newspaper columnist, educator. However, to coin a phrase from his website, we like to think of him simply as a true “ardent spirit”, so deep is his love for the cocktail world. One glance at ArdentSpirits.com, which he hosts with wife Mardee Haidan Regan, will show you the breadth and depth of this man’s knowledge and passion. The site offers everything from a glossary and a recipe collection to photos of wonderful cocktail ephemera and a collection of Gary’s “Barroom Flashbacks”.

01) What inspired your interest in cocktails?

I came to NY in ’73, I was 22 years old, and I knew nothing about cocktails. Since I wanted to work as a bartender—something I started doing when I was 14—I had to learn how to make cocktails and mixed drinks, and I found the subject to be fascinating.

02) What was your first formative cocktail experience?

Gin Gimlet, no ice, at a party my parents threw when I was 12 years old.

03) What is your all-time favorite mixed drink?

Manhattan

04) Favorite place to drink?

The Bay Horse, 1 Station Road, Thornton, Lancashire, England

05) If you don’t know the bartender, what do you order?

Manhattan, and I request specific ingredients and proportions, in a very nice way

06) If you could make any drink with the 12 Bottles, what would you make?

A Manhattan

07) If you could replace any one bottle with another, what switch would you make? And why?

12) One piece of advice for the home bartender…

Lesley’s book “Gin: A Global History” (Reaktion) was published in 2012, and she is currently working on “Liqueur: A Global History” (Reaktion). She is the cocktail/wine writer for the LA Weekly and writes for Chilled magazine. Lesley has written for many other publications, including Wine Enthusiast, Gourmet, and Santa Barbara, and she serves on the Advisory Board of the Museum of the American Cocktail.